As a long-time countryside manager for the Eden Valley in Cumbria, North West England, few people know this area quite as intimately as Dick Capel, who takes us on a series of introspective rambles from the source of the river in Mallerstang to the Solway Firth at Carlisle. Along the way through this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, we learn about the Andy Goldsworthy sheepfolds and the Poetry Path, the historic Nine Standards monuments with their uncertain origin, and myths and legends as well as history from Lady Anne Clifford to the Vikings, Romans, and the ancient standing stones found en route. We also discover the author's views on wildlife and hotly contested countryside management issues like hawk and curlew conservation, the intensification of farming methods and rights of way across the land. This is an unrivalled companion to an unspoiled gem of the English countryside.
Dick Capel was Countryside Manager for the East Cumbria Countryside Project from 1992 to 2008, during which time he commissioned the Goldsworthy Sheepfolds and the Eden Poetry Path as well as working on a variety of initiatives to protect the natural and built heritage of this unspoiled part of Cumbria. He was previously a warden for the Nature Conservancy Council.